Chapter Summaries

Written by members of our reading class.

• Chapter 1: Sorry About the Dog Hair

Chapter 1 is called Sorry About the Dog Hair because Neal says it to Shannon and Cody when they are getting in his car after they have just arrived in Seattle. Shannon doesn't recognize Neal because he looks different from what she remembers and what her mom told her. While they are getting in his car, two security guards and a soldier come up to them because Neal has raccoons in his car and they tell him,"Next time don't ." Neal thanks the soldier and the security guards for their vigilance and they leave the airport. -Tyler

• Chapter 2: Change Is Inevitable

Chapter 2 is called Change Is Inevitable because Neal quoted a bumper sticker, "Change is inevitable, except from vending machines," when Neal was saying how brave they were for coming on short notice and dealing with their parents being so far away. In this chapter, Neal, Cody, and Shannon visit Neal's old apartment on their way back from the airport. -Sarah T.

• Chapter 3: The View from the Needle

Chapter 3 is called The View from the Needle because Neal, Cody, and Shannon go to the top of the Space Needle in Seattle. On the way to the Space Needle, they try to get to know each other better. While on the Space Needle, Neal questions Shannon about Cody's disaster obsession. At the end of the chapter, Cody and Shannon witness Neal and Sage rescuing a possum. -Megan

• Chapter 4: The End of the Beginning

Chapter 4 is called The End of the Beginning because the beginning of the summer that Shannon and Cody are staying with Uncle Neal has just ended. In this chapter Shannon, Cody, and Uncle Neal save a fledgling bald eagle that had fallen from its nest. They then go to "Jackie's Wild Seattle" and meet Jackie and other volunteers that work there. -Natalie

• Chapter 5: The Distinguished Guests

Chapter five is called The Distinguished Guests because Jackie takes Cody and Shannon to meet her distinguished guests. In the beginning of the chapter Shannon has a nightmare about being on ship on her way to Pakistan. In her dream the ship his sinking and she can't find Cody.When she goes down for breakfast Jackie asks if she would like to meet her distinguished guests.These so called "guests" are different types of birds and small animals kept in a menagerie. Cody especially enjoys the experience because he meets a beaver and names him Chuckie. -Julia

• Chapter 6: Don't Worry, You Can Trust Me

Chapter 6 is called Don't Worry, You Can Trust Me, because Tyler says this to Uncle Neal when he finds Tyler at the center very early, and Neal questions him. In this chapter, Cody and Shanon explore more of the outdoor clinic, and meet a bear cub. Also in this chapter, many questions come up for Tyler. He came in very messy, and very tired, and keeps much to himself.

• Chapter 7: Late Breaking News

Chapter 7 is called Late Breaking News because in the chapter Shannon is putting her clothes away and Cody comes in and lists eight facts about Jackie's Wild Seattle. When Cody is explaining this he said that Tyler said half of the animals die at Jackie's Wild Seattle. -Sam

• Chapter 8: Underground With a Tough Customer

Chapter 8 is called Underground With a Tough Customer because Cody, Shannon and Neal go underneath Pioneer Square to save a raccoon. It was dark under there, so they had to use a flashlight. The With a Tough Customer part is because the raccoon was hard to catch and it took a while to rescue it. -Noelle

• Chapter 9: Flying Gravel

Chapter 9 is called Flying Gravel because in the end of the chapter, Tyler is picked up by his dad who is driving so fast and angrily the gravel flies up from the wheels on the car. In the chapter Neal names the fledgling bald eagle Liberty, who is not recovering well. Neal then has her moved outside so she can get fresh air, in hopes it will encourage her recovery. Shannon also finds out Tyler is not a volunteer, but is a juvenile delinquent working there as punishment for hurting an animal. Shannon then finds Tyler until his dad harshly and angrily picks him up. -Natalie

• Chapter 10: Baby Squirrels and Bad History

Chapter 10 is called Baby Squirrels and Bad History because Shannon woke up scared and checked on Cody who was sleep talking and then she went downstairs and talked to Jackie. They talk about Neal, Tyler, Tyler's Dad, and Jackie's relationship with Tyler's dad while they are feeding baby squirrels. Shannon learned a lot about them, after she finished talking to Jackie she checked on Cody again and then went to bed.

• Chapter 11: Day of the Hawk

Chapter 11 is called Day of the Hawk because Uncle Neal tries to save a red tailed hawk and gets his thumb almost severed off. While Uncle Neal is at the hospital Shannon found out an important things. She finds out that her uncle has cancer. This comes as a huge shock to Shannon and Cody. Neal having cancer might change everything.

• Chapter 12: Life Can Be Like That

Chapter 12 is called Life Can Be Like That because right now, Shannon's life has change because she found a revealing secret about Neal when he is in the hospital. In the meantime, an email from her parents makes her cry! Jackie and Shannon have an emotional conversation that makes Jackie say, "Life can be like that. Sometimes it's hard to know the right thing to do, no matter how hard you try." Jackie's quote sums up this chapter. -Caroline

• Chapter 13: Does it Hurt?

Chapter 13 is called Does it Hurt? because that is the first thing Cody asks Neal when he sees him in the hospital. Shannon, Cody, and Jackie are visiting Neal in the hospital because his hand got cut by the hawk. After Neal gets out of the hospital, he and Shannon talk in Neal’s bedroom. Towards the end of the chapter Shannon and Cody talk about how much Tyler is starting to like it at the center. -Mary

• Chapter 14: Turtles for Peace

Chapter fourteen is called Turtles for Peace because when Shannon, Cody, and Uncle Neal were on an adventure one of the clients but a bumper sticker on the back of there truck that said Turtles for Peace. Uncle Neal has finally let Shannon rescue the animals.They save a beaver, a bat, and a drowning bird. After a long day everyone felt like life was beautiful, and they were proud of their work! - Ashley

• Chapter 15:

Chapter 15 is called To the Edge because Shannon and Neal debate weather or not to let Shannon rock climb of the edge of a cliff to safe a baby seal. In this chapter Shannon, Neal and Cody's first stop is at a business man's house to save a raccoon. The man is very harsh to the raccoon, and doesn't tell Neal what happened immediately. After saving the raccoon they are called to get a black bear cub. This excites Shannon because she knew that Tyler wanted another cub for the one at the center to play with. When they arrive the bear is missing and Shannon is very disappointed. On their way home they are called to rescue a baby seal, but he is at the bottom of the cliff. Neal, Shannon and Cody begin to think of a plan before the tide comes in and washes the seal out to shore. -Kelly

• Chapter 16: Back on the Rock

Chapter 16 is called Back on the Rock because Shannon started climbing again to save a baby seal. The seal was abandoned, wounded, and was about to be taken away by the tide so Shannon has to rescue it by climbing down a cliff, putting the seal in her backpack, and then climbing back up. The climb was extremely hard for her to get to the top because the weight on her back was so much, but Shannon makes it to the top without having to drop the pack. Unfortunately the baby seal dies later during the car ride back to Jackie's Wild Seattle. -Sarah C.

• Chapter 17: A Whole Different Frog

Chapter 17 is called A Whole Different Frog because at the end of this chapter Shannon finds a frog in Cody's room. She thought he had let the frog go. He told her that this was a whole different frog. In the beginning of the chapter Neal began training Liberty. Next, came a call about a orphan bear cub. Shannon decided to scare it into the carrier.This was harder than she thought it would be. Another rescue in this chapter was when Shannon had to free a raven caught in a trap. At the center, Shannon talked to Neal about letting Tyler work with Liberty. Shannon couldn't find Cody but then found him in the creek catching frogs. She knew then she would have to watch him like a hawk. -Rachel

• Chapter 18: Tyler and Liberty

Chapter 18 is called Tyler and Liberty because Tyler is allowed to help train Liberty for school tours. Liberty at first doesn't seem to be Tyler's biggest fan, but later on, she gets used to him. Considering what we already know about Tyler, you have to say that he's slowly, but surely getting better. Being around Liberty seems to make Tyler extremely happy.-Noelle

• Chapter 19: Cry Tidnab

Chapter 19 is called Cry Tidnab because a baby raccoon escapes in the center, tidnab is the codename for raccoon. Cody has the idea to use Sage to find the raccoon, though nobody thinks this will work they still let Cody try. In the end, Sage does find the raccoon and Cody wins his bet with Jackie that Sage could find the raccoon. - Meredith

• Chapter 20: Sleepless in Seattle

Chapter 20 is called Sleepless in Seattle because Cody talks to Shannon about how he's been having bad dreams and not sleeping. That night Shannon couldn't sleep because she had a lot on her mind. In the morning Shannon told Cody about how Neal has cancer and Cody is starting to become less obsessed with disasters.- Casey

• Chapter 21:He Got Me Good

Chapter 21 is called He Got Me Good for two reasons. One reason is when a lady is driving down the road she hits a deer and kills it and the deer is pregnant. The other reason is when Cody is in the woods he corners a skunk to see what it will do and the skunk sprays him. When he is taking a bath trying to get the smell off he says "He Got Me Good". -Ellie

• Chapter 22:The Circle of Healing

Chapter 22 is called the Circle of Healing because Jakie explains the relationship between humans and animals as the circle of healing. She also explains how Tyler is a perfect example of this because he helped save the pregnant deer's child, and he has been helping with liberty. Jakie said this this was an example because she believes that the relation ship between humans and wildlife in interconnected and interdependent. - Courtney

• Chapter 23: Coyote in a Pickle

The chapter is called Coyote in a Pickle because a coyote is stuck in a downtown building elevator. before Shannon left Tyler stopped her and told her , since all the things that Tyler said were in the news paper his dad wouldn't let him work at Jackie's Wild Seattle anymore. Shannon had to go into the elevator and talk to the coyote to gain its trust. They rescued it and took it back to Jackie's Wild Seattle. - Sam

• Chapter 24: Thanks for the Mice

Chapter 24 is called Thanks for the Mice because on their way home from the coyote rescue Shannon gets a call from a man who turns out to be Tyler's dad who needs them to pick up some animals. When they arrive Tyler answers the door with a fresh bruise on his jaw and hands them a box of baby mice. Tyler's dad is in a very bad state of mind, so Tyler decides to spend the night at the center. While eating dinner the group sees Cody's interview on television and Jackie reveals that the Indian man in the background donated a check thirty-five thousand dollars to buy a new ambulance.-Julia

• Chapter 25: Coming up for Air

Chapter 25 is called Coming Up for Air because Tyler says that that he and his mother feel " suffocated" by Tyler's father. So, by moving to North Carolina, they are leaving his father and coming up for air. Mr. Tucker (Tyler's dad) has a personal grudge against Jackie, so when he finds out that Tyler is enjoying himself at Jackie's, he sets fire to the bear den. -Martha

• Chapter 26: So Far, So Good

Chapter 26 is called So Far, So Good because Cody buys a bumper sticker that says "I intend to live forever. So far, so good." Cody buys this right before Shannon and her mom find out that Neal is cancer-free. I think the bumper sticker sums up how Neal feels about his life. Shannon and her family are very happy that Neal is cancer-free and can't wait for him to visit for Christmas. Chapter 26 is a great ending chapter to an equally great book! -Caroline

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